Chapter 73 THE RACE AGAINST DEATH
CHAPTER 073: THE RACE AGAINST DEATH
Kieran finds the note first. He lets out a roar that wakes up the entire academy. It is an raw sound and it is wrong. I am already running when Alaric appears in my doorway. He is moving fast that he is barely visible.
Thalira is gone Kieran says, crushing the paper in his fist. She has gone to die.
Zev appears out of the shadows. His amber eyes are already black with dream-walking fury. How long has she been gone he asks.
It has been hours, half a day based on how cold her bed is.
I demand to know where she would go.
Sofia bursts in holding research papers to her chest. She found a note on Thaliras desk. All seven seals connect to one anchor point. That is where the ritual has to happen.
Where is it Alaric snarls.
It is at Hollow Mountain Sofia says. That is where the first Phoenix died two thousand years ago.
We start moving before she finishes the sentence.
Morgana intercepts us at the gates. She is still pale from her injuries. She is upright. I am coming she says.
You can barely walk Kieran says.
And you can barely think straight Morgana says. You need me.
Sofia stays behind to coordinate and watch Luna and Cassians resurrection chamber. Everyone else comes with us.
It will take three days to get to Hollow Mountain if we push ourselves. We push ourselves.
Kieran. Runs, his wolf form eating miles faster than human legs. Alaric uses speed carrying Morgana when she falters. Zev dream-walks through shortcuts that should not exist.
I feel Thalira through what's left of our bond. She is distant and fading. She is still there.
She is blocking us Zev says during a rest. She does not want us to find her.
Bad Kieran growls. We are finding her anyway.
The Covenant sends everything to stop us. Assassins in the night creatures at dawn corrupted supernaturals at every crossroad.
We fight through all of it leaving a trail of bodies and ash behind us.
On the day I feel a shift in the bond. It is like someone is turning down the volume.
Thalira has started the ritual I gasp.
Kierans wolf form stumbles. He shifts back to human, naked and bleeding from a dozen wounds. No she cannot have he says. We are not there yet.
She does not know we are coming Morgana says quietly.. She is counting on not making it in time.
We run harder.
That night we do not stop. We cannot afford to.
I do not think I can do another fifty years without Thalira Kieran admits into the darkness. I do not think I can do it.
None of us can I say.
Then we do not let it happen Zev declares. We stop her. We find another way. We always find another way.
We reach Hollow Mountain at sunset on the day.
It rises from the landscape like a scar, sacred and wrong. Power pulses from it in waves that make my teeth ache.
The ritual site is at the summit Sofia said before we left.
We look up. The mountain disappears into clouds.
Course it is, Zev mutters.
We climb.
Halfway up Thaliras presence weakens dramatically. It is like someone pulled a plug and her life is draining out.
Move Kieran shouts.
We abandon caution. Just run, scrambling over rocks using claws and speed and magic to ascend faster than should be possible.
The summit appears through mist. There is a stone circle seven rocks carved with symbols that glow silver.
In the center Thalira is there.
She is surrounded by silver fire consuming her from the inside out. Oracle Mira stands outside the circle chanting words that predate language.
Thalira is glowing, actually glowing like she is becoming something. Her life force is visibly draining into the seal stones around her.
She is dying.
Thalira stop Kieran roars.
We rush forward. Hit an invisible barrier that throws us back.
Thaliras eyes open. She looks surprised to see us.
You should not have come she says. Her voice echoes wrong already partly gone.
Like hell we should not have Kieran snarls, slamming his fists against the barrier.
I have to do this Thalira says. It is the way.
There is always another way I shout.
Not this time Thalira says. If I do not do this the Covenant rises. Everyone dies. Everything ends.
Then we end Zev says. Together not like this.
I am not letting you die for me Thalira says.
And we are not letting you die for us Kieran says. His voice breaks. Please please do not do this.
She looks at us really looks at us. For a moment I think she is going to stop.
Then she closes her eyes. I am sorry she says.
The silver fire intensifies.
No I throw myself at the barrier. Vampire strength does nothing. It is like hitting stone.
Kieran has shifted, claws tearing at magic that will not yield. Zev is trying to dream-walk through it hitting defenses that burn him back.
We are going to watch Thalira die. There is nothing we can do.
That is when I hear it footsteps, dozens of them.
We spin around.
Caius stands at the edge of the summit with an army at his back. Corrupted supernaturals, nightmare creatures, things that should not exist.
Well this is touching Caius says, smiling that smile.. It is pointless. Even if Thalira completes the ritual we will just break the seals again. You have bought yourselves a decade at most.
Then we will fight you for a decade Kieran growls.
You will not survive the week Caius says. Unless we kill her first. No Phoenix, no seals. And we are already free enough to—
He is cut off.
Golden fire explodes from the mountainside, not silver like Thaliras but pure gold, burning bright I have to look away.
A voice, raspy and familiar and impossible says sorry I am late.
Cassian walks out of the flames.
He is fully formed, fully resurrected covered in scars but alive and here and grinning like he did not just come back from death.
Miss me he asks.
Then his eyes find Thalira in the circle and the grin vanishes.
What the hell is she doing Cassian asks.
She is dying Zev says, sacrificing herself to seal the Covenant.
Like hell she is Cassian says. Everybody step back.
We cannot break the barrier I say.
You cannot Cassian says. I can.
He places both palms against the barrier.
Pushes.
Phoenix fire against magic for a moment nothing happens.
Then cracks appear.
The barrier shatters.
Cassian stumbles through. Does not hesitate. He runs into the ritual circle into the silver fire that should burn him but does not.
He grabs Thalira.
No Oracle Mira shouts. The ritual—
Is ending Cassian says.
He pulls Thalira against him wraps her in his fire. Gold and silver mixing two Phoenix flames becoming one.
The seal stones scream, backlashes, exploding outward.
I hit the ground hard when I look up the ritual circle is destroyed. Seal stones are cracked magic is dissipating.
Cassian is on his knees holding Thalira against his chest.
She is not glowing anymore breathing, shallow and weak but breathing.
You idiot Cassian whispers into her hair. You beautiful brilliant idiot.
Caius laughs. Well that was dramatic, but ultimately pointless. You have destroyed the seal site now we cannot re-seal them even if we wanted to.
He raises his hand and his army charges.
We form up around Cassian and Thalira five against a hundred.
This is how we die.
Then the mountain shakes, not an earthquake, something else something waking.
The summit cracks light pours through silver as Thaliras fire but ancient beyond measure.
A voice speaks, not loud but directly into my head, into all our heads.
The First calls the Second answers.
What is that Caius breathes.
The cracks widen a figure emerges from the light.
A woman, tall, powerful, made of silver fire and starlight.
She looks at Thalira.
She smiles.
Hello daughter she says. I have been waiting for you.
The First Phoenix has returned.
She is looking at Caius like he is already dead.